Singapore has topped the list of Asia-Pacific countries that took the Nov 2016 examinations for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, with a pass rate of 97.32 per cent.

The 1,849 students from Singapore who sat the exams scored an average total points score of 38.27 points of the maximum 45 points, IB said in a press release on Wednesday (Jan 4).

Fifty-seven students from Singapore achieved the perfect score of 45, making up more than half of the 93 perfect-score students from the Asia-Pacific region.

Australia came in second in the region, with a pass rate of 94.07 per cent, an average total points score of 34.56 out of 45 and 32 students scoring full marks.

Japan was lowest in the region with a pass rate of 76.92 per cent, an average total points score of 30.10 and no student achieving the maximum score.

Asia Pacific saw 5,205 students taking part, while 14,071 students took the exam session worldwide.

As a region, Asia Pacific outperformed global scores, with a pass rate of 91.3 per cent and an average total points score of 34.82.

The global pass rate was 70 per cent, and the average total points score 29.21.

Students from IB World Schools in the Asia-Pacific region who sat the November exam session last year will receive their results on Wednesday.

In 2016, a total of 161,344 students received IB diplomas, a 6 per cent increase from the year before.

IB director-general Dr Siva Kumari in IB’s release congratulated the new graduates and wished them success.

She said the graduates “join an ever-growing community of IB alumni across the world, a group well-equipped to contribute productively wherever they choose”.

“Their preparation for entry to higher education is second to none, and the most highly-reputed universities recognise DP graduates as holistic, well-rounded individuals who can perform successfully wherever they choose to study,” added Dr Siva.

Founded in 1968, IB now has more than 1.3 million students in more than 4,580 schools in more than 150 countries and territories.

In Asia Pacific, IB supports more than 770 schools, providing more than 1,100 IB programmes.